9 ripped celebrities who prove age is just a number

According to a slightly worrying report by the Centers for Disease Conrol and Prevention, around a quarter of Americans never exercise. Yes, you read that correctly. While official guidelines (and, in fact, healthy people all over the world) recommend a minimum of 2.5 hours of activity a week – or 5 hours for optimal health – it seems that some of us still aren't getting the message.

There's always time to work towards a better you

Inevitably, a lack of exercise can bring about swathes of problems on both short and long-term bases. Neglecting major muscle groups in your body means they will begin to detoriate as you age, losing the fight against atrophy as cells begin to degenerate. Bones will lose density and will become brittle, too.

But, on the lighter side of things (don't worry, it's not all doom and gloom here at MH), there's always time to work towards a better you and, of course, we're here to help. So, what better way to spur yourself on by looking at those who have boosted their body game even after they turned 40?

Idris Elba, 44

Currently a firm favourite to fill Bond's uber-expensive shoes – unlucky, Hiddleston – 44-year-old Idris Elba has turned his hand (or, actually, fists) to MMA training. With 2017's Fighter, Elba is set to take on a pro martial artist and has started training for the bout (and, seemingly, racking up some good air miles) in Japan, Cuba, America and Thailand. Not to mention he's looking good doing it, especially when it comes to bagwork. Not bad for 44, right?

Jason Statham, 49

Ah yes, Jason Statham. A bona-fide British bruiser. Earlier this year, MH quizzed Statham - who, by the way, is now almost 50 - on his workout routine and training secrets for Mechanic: Resurrection. "[Work an]area until it starts to feel like it’s had some smashing", he told MH. "Then let that recover, find something else. Always some form of an Olympic lift within the session. Heavy cleans – they’re tough. If you do them heavy and fast you can really tax yourself with that stuff."

Daniel Craig, 48

Will he? Won't he? Should he? These are the questions most people seem to be asking about Daniel Craig – the latest Bond to possibly hang up his tux – but, here at MH, we think you should be asking how you can get his MI6-worthy gains, which are still in fine form at 48. Focus on big lifts which will maximise your mass, including barbell bench press, weighted chin-ups, barbell military press, barbell curls, hanging leg raises and barbell rollouts. Work on these, rather than researching how to obtain a license to kill.

JK Simmons, 61

Stay with us on this. While JK here - seen on Instagram bringing a whole new meaning to 60+ lifting – normally seems more like the wise-cracking professor or concerned father, he's actually spent the year putting in the hard hours at the gym for 2017's Justice League, where he's set to play Gotham's Comissioner Gordon, a man who you'll find nowhere near a library and, instead, out on the street busting the bad guys. Retired marine and celebrity personal trainer Aaron Williamson was in charge of getting J.K. buff for the film, helping him prove that age can just be a number.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, 44

Let's face it, The Rock is one of bodybuilding's crown jewels. Having conquered the wrestling world, he went on to smell success in Hollywood and – literally and figureatively – he's only gotten bigger since, proving that you're never too late to start something in later life, especially when you're ready to put in the work for it. “I don’t train to maintain, I train to progress,” he said to MH. “In your late thirties, your muscles have great maturity and memory, so you can make incredible gains.” Science agrees, too. Men over 40 can improve strength by 80% over 16 weeks. Be wary of any post-workout pain, though. “When your body speaks to you, you’re smart to listen to it.”

Hugh Jackman, 47

Look at his face – is that a man who you want to tell that maintaining and gaining muscle in your 40s isn't achievable? Thought so. What's more, the MH icon and father-of-two is now part of the '1000 club', an elite clique that can - you guessed it – deadlift and press a combined weight of 1000lb. When it comes to deadlifting, biomechanical researchers at McMaster University found the no-nonsense exercise to trigger a 100% increase in testosterone production and a boost to your growth hormone – exactly what you need to build bigger muscles and eradicate body fat.

Alexander Skarsgård, 40

The now-King of the Jungle, 40-year-old Skarsgård is the youngest of the list and an idealistic example of how the sooner you start training, the quicker it will pay off as you continue to age. “I wanted to get bigger than I was,” says Skarsgård on getting into shape for Tarzan. “But I didn’t want to look like a bodybuilder. It was important that every single fibre and every muscle was there for a reason. In the wild, everything has a purpose, otherwise nature gets rid of it.” Working with PT Magnus Lygdback at an on-set gym, Skarsgård would lift weights for around an hour each morning. Then, throughout the day, they’d work core exercises between filming. He finished each day with a yoga and Pilates session with choreographer Wayne McGregor.

Gerard Butler, 46

You know his name and you know his work. More specifically, you know his body from swashbuckling biopic 300. This was where we saw Butler and co showcase their six (and often eight)-packs, defending Greece and looking good doing it. "I don't go out partying all the time. I get as much rest as I can," said Butler when it came to sacrificing time for the workout and how he fits it in. "When I'm working in a new place, I'm always thinking, OK, where are the trails? Where can I go hiking and running?"

Mark Wahlberg, 45

Last and definitely not least is MH October cover star, Mark Wahlberg. After filming Deepwater Horizon – which saw him deliberately gain weight by eating "a lot of fried food, subs [and] pasta" –Wahlberg had little more than three weeks to transform himself once more, this time down to a lean 77kg for Transformers 5, which is now filming in the UK.

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